A fine, fine line
by Mari Falcon
Summary: There's a fine, fine line between two moments in time. There's a fine, fine line between life and death. There's a fine, fine line between love and . . .


So, I used this as an excuse not to go to classes today.

yeah.

The song is "A fine, fine line" from the musical _Avenue Q._

I don't own Naruto, or the song.

A fine, fine line

_There's a fine, fine line  
between a lover and a friend._

Uchiha Sakura sighed in contentment. Her husband rolled off her and she stretched from head to toe, flexing her feet and smiling to herself. Relaxing, Sakura rolled onto her side and reached for Sasuke. The instant her fingers touched his skin, Sasuke opened one eye and looked at her.

"What are you doing?"

She slid up to his side and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Cuddling."

Sasuke grunted and made a face, but let her stay. He didn't respond, but he let her stay.

_There's a fine, fine line  
between reality and pretend._

The ring was beautiful. He'd given it to her on her twentieth birthday, but had refused to get on bended knee. She'd been very tempted to beat him into it, but there had been the slightest of blushes dusting his cheekbones. Holding back her grin, Sakura had reached up and pecked his cheek, whispering her answer into his ear.

She twisted it around her finger now. The red gem glittered in the sunlight and Sakura couldn't help but think how odd it felt that she was wearing it. Because of her work at the hospital and on missions, she rarely put it on. She didn't want it to get damaged in any way, and it could be a hazard during a fight.

Now, however, Sasuke was insisting that she wear it at all times, and not go on any more missions. She snorted. He still 'allowed' her to work at the hospital. Sakura figured eventually he would relax his over protectiveness and she could get back to being a ninja. For now, she would let Sasuke be Sasuke.

_And you never know till you reach the top  
if it was worth the uphill climb._

He would never stumble back. Naruto would come home from a mission dragging his feet with his head down and eyes drooping from exhaustion, but Sasuke would still walk through Konoha's gates with his head high and his spine straight.

The instant he entered his own home, he fell apart. During these times, Sakura was infinitely glad she was super strong and a medic. She would haul him upstairs and tend to his wounds. She would set his broken bones, sew his skin back together, wash the blood off and give him tea with medicine in it.

He would drift to sleep and she would smile, lean down and whisper in his ear, "You're not alone."

_There's a fine, fine line between love and . . . _

_There's a fine, fine line  
between a fairy tale and a lie._

"What will we tell them?" Sakura asked.

"What?"

Sakura smiled. "Someday, when we have kids. What will we tell them when they ask us how we fell in love?"

Sasuke stared at her over breakfast. ". . . what would you like to tell them?"

"Oh, something along the lines of their heroic but misguided father and beautiful and talented mother meeting on a dark and stormy night. He was injured from a terrible battle and she carefully healed him."

"Just how injured was he?" Sasuke wondered as he took a sip of juice.

Sakura smiled. "Nearly dead."

"So, the beautiful and talented mother brought him back to life?"

"Pretty much." Sakura knew she sounded smug.

Sasuke smirked. "You're assuming they'll ask."

_And there's a fine, fine line  
between "You're wonderful" and "Goodbye."_

Two visits to the hospital would stand out forever in Sakura's mind.

"For goodness' sake, Sasuke," Sakura complained as they walked through the doors. "I'm a medic. I know what's wrong with me and I just have the flu."

Sasuke remained silent as he guided her through the halls. "I'm not taking any chances."

Less than an hour later, Tsunade grinned at the young couple and announced the good news. Sakura gasped and put a hand over her stomach, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes. She turned to Sasuke. There was the tiniest curl to his lips as he stepped forward and placed his hand over hers, over their child.

"You're wonderful, Sakura."

The next time, Sakura's hand was again on her stomach, but it was alone.

The room looked exactly the same and if she tried hard enough, she could almost convince herself that it was that day three weeks ago. She bit down hard on her lower lip to keep it from trembling and wished that Sasuke's hand would again join hers.

Even if it wasn't over their child.

Even if it never would be again.

"S-sasuke . . ."

He made a sharp right turn, military harsh, and marched to the door. "Goodbye, Sakura."

_I guess if someone doesn't love you back,  
it isn't such a crime._

Sakura sat on the bench. It was hard, cold and uncomfortable. She'd spent a night on it once.

He'd left her then, too.

This time, he didn't even thank her.

She doubled over and curled up on it again, praying to any god that would listen that she would be twelve again, that she would again have hope to bring him back.  
_  
There's a fine, fine line between love and . . ._

_And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore._

The sun's rays woke her up, rather than two helpful, overworked Chuunin.

Sakura slowly sat up and rubbed at her eyes. She shivered as she sat up and the cold morning air hit her skin. It sank in slowly that Sasuke hadn't come looking for her, that he hadn't taken her in to make sure she was safe.

Instead of rescuing her from the cold, he was the reason she was in it.

Her eyes dried and she froze her heart to keep it from bleeding out. Slowly, Sakura stood.

_I don't think you even know what you're looking for._

"Why are you packing?" Sasuke wondered, watching her put clothes into a pack.

Sakura pulled out her ninja attire and folded it carefully. "Why do you think?"

She saw his hands clenching and unclenching, saw the tiny frown line between his eyebrows. "You can stop me, you know."

His eyes snapped up to her, but he spun around and marched out of the room.

Sakura closed her eyes for a minute, then finished packing. She would only be taking her ninja clothes. She'd have no need for the others. Slinging her pack over her shoulders, she moved to the door.

_For my own sanity I've gotta close the door and walk away._

Sakura closed the door behind her and walked down the stone path. Behind her, Sasuke opened it and watched her go.

_Stop me, stop me, stop me, stop me._

The gates to the Uchiha compound closed with a resounding clang.

_There's a fine, fine line  
between together and not._

The apartment she'd rented was tiny, a stark contrast to the large house she'd shared with Sasuke. The bed was cold and she didn't need the stacked medicinal supplies in her closet.

She stayed in the apartment for a week, allowing herself to wallow in pity and sadness. She stayed up as late as she could every night, because some small part of her insisted that he would come and drag her back.

_There's a fine, fine line  
between what you wanted and what you got._

Her finger felt bare without it.

Sakura marveled at the thought that she had grown accustomed to the ring resting on her finger. Just a few months ago, she had twisted it constantly, trying to get it into a better position, so she didn't feel its weight as much when working.

She had pulled it off a week ago, but hadn't worked up the courage to see him until today.

He'd stared at her as she gave it back to him. Not at the ring, but at her as she put it into his hand. He'd been silent and she'd not dared to look in his eyes. Sakura hadn't wanted to see his disappointment, or worse, his indifference.

She knew now that he had only married her because of his second purpose in life: to restore his clan.

_You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime. _

Haruno Sakura sighed happily as she stepped out of the hospital. Another day of work, done. She was now the head of the hospital, and all the toughest cases were brought back to her. She was second only to Tsunade.

Naruto's team would be coming home soon, today if the mission went well. A small smile stretched on her lips. It would be good to see her friends again, they'd been gone for a couple of weeks.

Sasuke didn't join his team at the bar, and though a tiny part of Sakura still wished he would, the majority of her was glad. Things were still so tense and uncomfortable between the two of them.

Slightly tipsy, she helped a smashed Naruto home and left for her own apartment.

_There's a fine, fine line . . ._

He had held her, after she had fallen asleep.

He had insisted she be taken off the active duty roster, after seeing a female teammate brutally tortured and murdered.

He had thanked Kami, after every time she told him he wasn't alone.

He had written down their 'love story,' after she'd told it to him.

He had said 'I'll be back,' after closing the hospital room door.

He had gone out and searched for her, after hearing she'd already checked out of the hospital.

He had used a warming jutsu on the bench she slept on, after finding her.

He had destroyed every suitcase and pack in the house, after she'd told him he could stop her.

He had run to the gates, after they'd closed.

He had sat outside her apartment every night, after she'd fallen asleep.

He had tried to give the ring back, after she'd walked away.

Uchiha Sasuke opened Sakura's apartment and stepped inside. His legs gave way the instant he smelled her. He dragged himself to the nearest chair and pulled his bruised, bloody and broken body into it.

She was the only one who could heal him.

He watched the dark red blood pool on the floor and waited for her to come home.

Sasuke's vision went black at the edges. Had his heart been healthy, it would have pounded in fear. It was always his most terrifying nightmare, to die alone.

He clutched the ring he'd given her in his left hand, but his fingers were going numb. He'd drop it soon.

He knew, as the black encroached on his vision, that Sakura would now know what it was like to be a moment too late.

The last thing he saw was pink and the ring slipped from his fingers.

. . . _between love and . . ._

Sakura saw the trail of blood down her hall and into her door, and dread slammed into her.

She sprinted forward, not caring that her shoes were now slicked in blood, and threw the door open.

Sasuke was sitting in a chair, slumped over and bleeding heavily.

Sakura flew forward and kneeled in front of him.

Something fell from his fingers and in his blood, she saw the red gem glitter's fade in the moonlight.

_. . . a waste of time. _

* * *

--

* * *

Meh. It's okay, but the stupid thing has been swirling around in my head for ages. I wrote it from 10:00 to 11:15.

Because I know people get rather nutty about pairings, let me just say that I believe in almost any pairing if it is done right. Sasuke and Sakura just managed to fit for this one.

So, what do you think?


End file.
